CONTROL OF GOLF

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 285, 29 August 1935, Page 16

CONTROL OF GOLF

Proposal For Wellington Association DECISION DEFERRED Twenty-three delegates from 13 golf clubs iu the Wellington district attended a meeting convened by the Watt Cup committee at the Commercial Traveller’s Club last night to discuss a proposal to form a Wellington Golf Association. After a discussion which lasted for two hours, it was decided to adjourn the meeting until November 20, as a proposal to form provincial associations would come before the annual meeting of the New Zealand Golf Association at Christchurch on October 15. Mr. P. C. Watt, donor of the Watt Cup. who was elected to the chair, explained that there were 18 golf clubs in Wellington and suburbs, and 13 were represented at the meeting, which was very satisfactory. A Wellington Golf Association, if formed, would in no way interfere with the control of the game in the Dominion by the New Zealand Golf Council. Mr. A. 8. T. Butler (Manor Park), the originator of the proposal, said that for many years past he had been a member of the Watt Cup committee, and the excellent manner in which that committee had functioned had given him the idea that it would be a good thing to have a golfassociation to control the game in Wellington. He moved that the meeting approve of the formation of such an association. Mr. D. A. Crombie (Titahi) seconded the motion, remarking that such an association could do good work in fixing dates for tournaments and controlling interclub matches. The clashing of dates would be avoided if there were co-opera-tion between the golf clubs of Wellington. Growth of the Game.

Mr. B. Barker (Waiwetu) said all realised that golf had grown tremendously in recent years, and would continue to increase in the future. He could see nothing but good in a proposal to set up .an association to control the game in Wellington. Football, cricket and hockey had such associations, and they did excellent work for their particular games. Mr. D. O. Whyte (Wellington), said if the proposed association’s functions were to be confined to arranging dates for tournaments and inter-club matches, it would serve a very useful purpose, but if there was any intention of usurping the functions of the New Zealand Golf Council he would be opposed to it. They wanted to avoid the troubles which had arisen in Australia, where there was practically no control to-day, and this had been mainly responsible for the falling through of the Kirk-Windeyer Cup matches’. New Zealand had been fortunate in having able men on the New Zealand Golf Council in the past, and he would not be in favour of anything which would interfere with the authority of the golf council. Mr. T. H. Gibson (Miramar) said the Miramar club, in the meantime, would prefer to remain neutral, in view of the proposals which were being put forward by the Otago club. Mr. H. C. Boon (Titahi) favoured the formation of a golf association for Wellington, which could function as did the football, cricket and hockey organisations in the city. . The chairman said that a Wellington association should be of the greatest assistance to the golf council. Mr. Crombie thought much good co nd be done by the proposed association in securing uniformity of local rule®.

Too Many Matches. Mr. Whyte warned delegates against arranging too many inter-club matches. There were 18 golf clubs in the district, and no club could play 18 inter-club matches in a season. Auckland had attempted to arrange home and away interclub matches, but some of the major clubs there had dropped out through not having enough days on which to play their friendly competitions. He considered that the fixture list of most clubs was fur (oo long. Alter an informal round-the-table discussion, Mr. Butler said it appeared that there was a fear that the proposal to form a Wellington golf association was directed against the New Zealand Golf Council. Nothing was further from the minds of those behind the proposal, whose only intention was to assist the golf council. It had been stated that the association, if formed, would not be able to in-, terfere nith local rules. He could not agree with this view: there were far too many local rules, which were mainly designed to help bad golfers, and the sooner they got closer to the laws of the Royal ami Ancient Club of St. Andrews the better for the game. The association could also do goal in grading clubs, and inculcating the best of feelings between the members of the various clubs. After further discussion Mr. Butler agreed to withdraw his motion, and it was decided to adjourn the meeting until delegates had placet! the proposal before their respective committees. It was agreed that the meeting should be adjourned until November 20.